Reimagining Unemployment Insurance

Following the overwhelming support at the polls on Tuesday, April 4th from Wisconsin voters to ensure that the state continues to focus on assisting people in finding work, we are reintroducing legislation to reform Wisconsin's Unemployment Insurance (UI) program. In Wisconsin, the UI program is available to those who lost their job due to no fault of their own and earned enough money to qualify for benefits. Unfortunately, it has become clear in recent years that the UI program has deviated from its core mission of assisting people in finding rewarding, family-supporting jobs while collecting benefits.

That is why the Reemployment Assistance Act is being introduced. As the state battles the current labor shortage, we must ensure that all of our state's benefit programs provide the tools needed for people to successfully seek and find re-employment. This legislation makes various changes to Wisconsin's unemployment insurance program and focuses on putting a greater emphasis on workforce training by providing individuals with a customized employment plan that gives unemployed Wisconsinites more direction for their job searches and overall transition period.

This legislation is modeled after ideas implemented by other states that have successfully integrated reemployment supports into their unemployment insurance programs. According to a study conducted by the United States Department of Labor, claimants who participated in reemployment assessments found work faster and earned more money in the long run. With this in mind, our bill places a greater emphasis on reemployment assessment services for those on UI.

Furthermore, this bill will assist people in finding customized jobs based on their unique skill sets. After submitting their resume to JobCenterofWisconsin.com, they will receive weekly tailored job opportunities in their area based on the skills listed on their resume. This helps businesses find the right workers while keeping those on UI connected to the labor market.

Wisconsin is currently experiencing a critical workforce crisis, and we must do everything possible to get people off the labor market sidelines and into employment as soon as possible. With more jobs available than there are resumes, we must seize this opportunity to reform our state's existing unemployment insurance program. The current UI program has failed recently under the current governor's leadership to maximize the assistance for those individuals in obtaining the workforce support they require to land their next career as soon as possible so they can support their families and thus fulfill their dreams and aspirations.